Corset.



No. 725,980. v PATENTED APRJ21, 1903. P. J. MENAH-AN.

CORSET-Q APPLICATION FILED A U'G. 20, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I PATRICK J. MENAHAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,980, dated April 21, 1903. Application filed August 20, 1902. Serial No. 120,272. [No model.)

T0 at whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. MENAHAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

I will show and describe the invention as applied to a corset of the'now fashionable style know as straight front, but it may be useful in all styles of corsets.

It is common to employ two of the tapes or cords (briefly laces) for each pair of corsets,

one starting at the top and lacing down the waist-line and the other starting from the bottom and lacing up to the same line. It will be understood that the lacing is at the back and that the'front is opened and closed by clasps in the ordinaryfmanner.

In applying the corset on the person there is never recognized any difficulty in placing the backloosely laced, as above described, in the correct position; but in bending the ordinarily flexible garment around and bringing the front edges together and into place there is with many much difliculty in getting the corset correctlyplaced on the person. It

is common to adjust it by several movements upward and downward after the lacings have been partially or completely tightened. I mark a star on the back and take much pains to determine the position of the waist-line from that point in the back around the waist to the front of the corset and punch a little above and below the line thus determined at the front and insert eyelets, or hooks may be used, if preferred. These eyelets thus carefully set serve as marks to indicate to the touch what portion of the front is to match to Each lace is thence extended in the interiorof the corset across the narrow space at the received in the spring-clips.

i front and out again through the corresponding eyelet on the opposite side of the front. Pulling on the ends thus extended out after having been extended across the joint inside of the front will tighten the lacing at the mid-height of the back and will, if the front has been through inadvertence set too low or too high, draw the front upward or downward to the correct position. I have found the'ordinary corset-laces sufiicient in length;

but they may be made extra long if it'shall be found expedient. Trials indicate that the ends thus interwoven at the front will always be retained by friction, thus avoiding the objectionable knot in tying the laces; but I provide additional spring-clips into which the free ends are finally engaged.

The following is a description of whatI consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

I The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure] is a front view of the corset in place on a form and properly laced with ends Fig. 2 is a corresponding back view. Fig. 3 is a face'vie'w, and Fig. 4 an edge view, of the spring-clip on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a back view corresponding to Fig. 2, showing a modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

'A'and B are the two halves of a corset; A, B, &c., the line of eyelets extended up and down near the back edge, and'D and E the two laces, one,D, commencing at the top of the back and interlaced down to the last eyelet above the waist-line O G and theother,

'E,co m mencing at the bottom of the back and interlacing up to the eyelets nextbelow the said waist-line.

A and B are the front steels, which may be in all respects like those in ordinary corsets, but preferably enough wider, especially at the mid-height, to allowfor the weakening due to the insertion of the eyelets,which form a distinguishing feature of this invention; The steels are set in the fabric of the parts A and B in the ordinary manner and are equipped with clasps A and studs B which may be in all respects of the ordinary description and serve in the usual manner, ex-

cept as hereinafter detailed. A little above the waist-line C on these front steels I insert eyelets A and B", and a little below, prefer-. ably corresponding to the distance apart of the corresponding eyelets adjacent to the waist-line at the back, I insert another pair of eyelets A 13 These eyelets extend through the fabric of the corset and also the steels.

Assuming the corset to have been left with the lacing loosened to about the ordinary extent after its last use and to have the upper lacing extended loosely outside and around to the front on each side and passed inward through the corresponding front eyelets A B, the corset is placed on the person with the back in the correct position and the front edges are brought together only at the top and only the top clasp A and stud B are engaged together. Next the ends of the laces are extended across the inverted-V-shaped interval between the front edges, and each end is passed outward through the corresponding eyelet in the opposite edge. So soon as all four of the ends are thus passed across and outward through the proper eyelets, each eyelet carrying two laces coming from opposite directions, the lady simply pulls strongly to the right and left on all four of the laces. The effect is to draw the front edges together and, what is more especially important for the purpose, it adjusts the corset to exactly the proper position on the lady without further effort or care. The tension should be sufficient and should be continued long enough to induce rendering of the laces atthe back at and adjacent to the waist-line, but does not extend to the top and bottom of the back. The friction at the front is sufficient to hold the laces, and they may be dropped while the lady secures the remaining clasps in the ordinary manner. Now the corset is in the correct position; but the upper andloweredgesare notproperly laced. There remains the ordinary operation of tightening the several returns of the laces, commencing at the top, down nearly but not quite to the already-tightened portion at the waist-line and commencing at the bottom and tightening nearly up to the waist-line. This leaves two slack portions of the respective laces, but so near the waist-line that on applying the fingers to the front laces and vigorously pulling the laces render through the eyelets near the waist and take up the slack. Now the corset is correctly adjusted and properly laced, and it remains only to secure the ends of the laces. Friction will serve, as before stated, to hold them; but I provide an additional assurance in the form of spring clips or hooks A and B, into which the otherwise free ends of the laces are drawn, and they are certain to remain adjusted without requiring any further attention.

In disrobing the operation is more like the ordinary. The laces, being liberated from the clips, are drawn backward through the eyelets at the front until there is sufficient slack at the back, and then the ordinary manipulation with the fingers distributes the looseness up and down from the waist-line at the back, and so soon as the proper amount of liberty is thus secured the front may be unclasped, preferably in the reverse order to that of the clasping, leavingthe upper one holding the garment loosely. Next each lace is drawn out from its engagement with the opposite edge of the corset and the front is left free in the ordinary manner. Then the top clasp is disengaged and the corset removed.

Ladies differ widely in their management of this important article of Wearing-apparel; but many find effort necessary to get the front of the corset at the proper height on the person, and when this is attained the result has not the perfection of which the garment is capable, the clothing beneath having been much disturbed and wrinkled. Experiments indicate that the proper use of this improvement is easily acquired and the certainty and perfecting of the result amply repays the slight labor of extending the lace ends across at the front at each donning of the garment.

It is practicable and many may prefer to not entirely withdraw the laces which extend across the front at each disrobing, but simply to loosen the laces suificiently by drawing them backward nearly to their ends, and then the corset is removed by lifting it over the head or dropping it under the feet. In such case the reverse operation will be effected in resuming its use.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. The position of the clips A may be varied and the force of the springs in each may vary within wide limits. Parts of the invention may be used without the whole. I can dispense with the clips. The ends of the laces can be tied, if preferred, in any case; but the wearer will in most cases be glad to avoid the cumbersome bunch produced by a knot. The laces on emerging from the eyelets at the back may be crossed again, so that the laces emerging from the right edge of the corset will be led around on the left side of the lady and the lanes emerging from the left side will be led around the right side of the lady. Fig. 5 indicates such modification. In such case the laces will be rove through the eyelets at the front in the same manner as before described.

Instead of setting the eyelets A B and A B 10 the front, and with the clips A B all arranged to serve substantially as herein-specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK J MENAHAN.

Witnesses:

J. B. OLAUTIOE, M. F. BOYLE. 

